Rise of Obsidia part 1
by divineguidancebeta
Summary: an avatar the last air bender fan fic with zuko taking the led in an A/U adventure that will change everything forever.  now half way completed
1. strang incounter

Rise of Obsidia By El Shaddai

This is an avatar the last air bender fan fic that is centered on Zuko, **I do not own avatar **

The story begins at the North Pole after Zuko's fight with Admiral Zhao.

Zuko could hear the fire nation call in a full retreat but he could not see anything Zhao had stuck him in the face with fire and blinded him. He did not know where his uncle was or where he was, he was in a dais his head was blank all that was on his mind was the voice of an unknown man telling him to fallow and tugging his hand. Zuko fallowed blindly (literally) as the man led him onto a fire nation ship. As the ship was leaving Zuke head a loud thud then everything seemed to be going very smoothly the man took him to the infirmary where burns on his face where treated then the man sat Zuko down in front of a fire and introduced him.

"My name is captain **Cheng**" the man said rather softly "mined telling me watt happened to your eyes?"

"Zhao" Zuko replied (fun fact Zhao means helper)

Cheng replied "ahhh Zhao ah trust me when I say this where all better off without him. So what, did you talk back to him?"

Zuko's head was beginning to make sense of everything when he asked "why did you help me?"

Cheng looked confused for a moment although Zuko could not see it "what was I suppose to do leave a young, blind, fellow solder stranded on that hunk of ice? By the way going into an active war zone without your uniform was pretty dumb even for a new recruit."

"New recruit!" Zuko thought to himself "this guy must be pretty stupid but then again the burns over my eyes are probably covering my scare and I do look fire nation.(now out loud) I guess I was to exited about my first battle I forgot I think that might have been why Zhao was so short with me." Zuko lied.

"Heh" Cheng chuckled "you must not have known Zhao, he was short with everyone "Just then Zuko heard the door open and a solder burst into the room and say

"Sir the hall of the ship has been breached the ship is going down"

"What are you waiting for?" Cheng replied "abandon ship!" Cheng then grabbed Zuke by the arm and yanked him up out of his seat. "Fallow me" and he guided Zuko to one the river bouts.

Nothing was said as the river bout was lowered but most of the men new that there was now land for miles and even less that would treat them friendly, to make maters worse the hall was breach where the food was kept so the supplies where minimal at best.

During diner the next evening one of the men spotted a small island to the south Cheng said it would be a great place to spend the night after they spent the last one in the crowded river bout. That night woke up suddenly he heard a low pitch voice calling out to him "Zukooooo Zzzuuuukkkoooo."

Zuko hadn't told any of the men his name then he thought "it must be my uncle" he quickly got up and be gain walking towards the voice but was careful of the sleeping men. Soon Zuko found himself at the water's edge where the voice then began to speak to him.

"Zuko! Prince of the fire nation! Is it you!"

Zuko responded "yes it is me."

"My name is Bao-Zhi, and you should not be so open with your name considering who you are, foolish boy! "

"Then what should I call myself?" Zuko asked

"There will be a name given to you soon enough but for now you must now this you have a great destiny about you one that will change the world for ever and I will give you the power to do so!"

Zuko could not see it but he was talking to the island itself that was in fact a giant alligator turtle. The turtle touch Zuko's forehead and he could feel his soul itself changing as he fell asleep.

Ah Bing 

When Zuko awoke the next morning the crew was happy and joyful Zuke could hear the men laughing and celebrating, Zuko cried out for cheng who quickly came.

"Cheng!" Zuko cried out.

"Well look who decided to rejoin the living" Cheng replied

"Cheng, what is going on?" asked zuko

"You see … oops forgot you can't" Cheng said jokingly "we can see land from the shore and the waving the fire nation flag, we made it back"

"But I thought we were now where near home last night and where still on the isla…"

"Don't question it boy just be happy."

The crew got back into the small river bout and set off for the nearby fire nation colony had they not been so happy and joyful the mite have knottiest the island slowly disappearing under the waves.

When they came ashore they learned they were in Ah Bing village

"Wait Cheng, it takes over a weak to get from the North Pole to Ah Bing on a fire nation ship and twice that on a river bout but somehow we made it in less than two days."

"How do you know so much about this stuff "ask cheng

"Because I've done nothing but travel sints I got….. I mean in listed." Zuko lied again.

"Oh" Cheng finally realized he isn't a solder "I see"

Cheng turned around and said to his men "we are in Ah Bing village only a half a day's journey from the rendezvous piont so rest up because tomarow we heading out." to Zuko now "you and me nead to talk boy."

Cheng led Zuke to the edge of town at the base of a mountain "alright boy it's time you told me who you are"

"ok" Zuko siad quickly tieing to think of a good lie "I stowed away on one of the ships I'm not even from the Fire Nation I'm from the Earth kingdom collonese" Zuko new he could not pull off the solder lie any more, but something was bothering him to mutch to think on where he was going with this story.

"and?" Cheng replide impatiently

"and what?" Zuko replide still thinking back on what he saw.

"why did you stowe away on a fire nation vesle headed into battle at the north pole!"Cheng was starting to lose his temper.

"I didn't know where it was headed I just needed to get off land." Zuko now focusing on the task of lying at hand.

" huh" Cheng sighed "why where you trying to get off land?" Cheng asked more comely

" I got into some truble with some eath benders"

"what kind of truble?"Cheng asked.

"well they payed me tosneak them into a fire nation for but they didn't know the fire nation had payed me to set up an ambush"

"so, what did some of them get away?"

"no" Zuko reply having alredy thought this part through "the Avatar broke them out of prison".

"I see" Cheng siad "so thats why you didn't know anything about Zhao, but how do you know about navigation"

"this wasn't my first time on a fire nation ship, I've goten free rides all over the world I was even on Zuko's ship for a time, _wow am I geting good at this _Zuko thought.

"Zuko's ship? Know that must have bin bad, I here that guy is a real jerk"

Zuko clenched his fist and was about to start yelling at Cheng but just then there was a low rumbling sound and Cheng grabed him and yelled avolanche before trying to run but then fell to the grouned along with Zuko. Zuko's hands hit the ground first and in that molment Zuko had the the same senstion he had ealyer (the one that was bothering him that I didn't explian) it was like he could feel the world around him, just by tuching the ground! Zuko could feel the avolanche coming twards him and Cheng as well as the the rock Cheng had triped over and nocked himself unconscious, the avolanch was so close that there was nothing Zuko could do it was going to kill him but more importantly it was going to kill Cheng a man that hed put himself in harm's way multiple time to help him some one whos name Chang never even new. Zuko just wanted to stop time and save Cheng and just as the avolanche was about to kill them both Zuko in his desperation threw up both his hands and yeld "Stop" and for a moment he thought it had worked but then he felt Cheng breathing and realized it wasen't time he had stoped but the avolanche. "But how" he thought "i'm not an earth bender" this was strang but then Zuko felt the rocks staring to move agian and quickly picked up Cheng and ran away as the racks hit the ground behind him.


	2. Looking Up

Thing are Looking Up by El Shaddai

Thing are Looking Up

by El Shaddai

I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender

Cheng had hit his head pretty hard and when he woke with the village healer Zuko told him how he was hurt in the avalanche, leaving out the part about earth bending of cores, Cheng was very great full he offered to help Zuko get his eye site back.

"But how?" Zuko ask.

"It doesn't look that bad I think the scar tissue has just sealed them shut" Cheng said "I could get a surgeon to take a look at them"

The healer then quickly said "You should not be moving right know" Zuko couldn't see but Cheng had tried to poke at his eye. Cheng apologized quickly pulled his hand back. The healer then turned to Zuko and said "The medicine I gave him should have him up and walking in a few days but he is right your eyes don't look to bad."

Cheng healed up just fine and pretty soon they were on their way but the river bout had been damaged by an unknown earth bender, it was Zuko, so they had to walk to the rendezvous spot Cheng offered to guide Zuko but Zuko insisted that he could just fallow the sound of their footsteps, and that he didn't need shoes. Zuko had gotten pretty good with seeing through his feet but wanted to practice as they walked.

When they got to the rendezvous point Cheng said he would sign Zuko in as lee "there's a million lees, no one will notice one more." Zuko was told to stay in the infirmary tell the surgeons arrived.

"How long will it take?" Zuko asked

"It could take a while, first we have to wait for the rendezvous' dead line then they will call in extra surgeons if needed to assist the wounded and then when there all done they will help the ones who's' lives are not in danger like you."

"Why do we have to wait for the rendezvous if we're already here?"Zuko asked

"Because they don't know how many surgeons to send tell everyone arrives." Cheng responded.

"But can't they send just one to help me then send the rest when the others arrive?"Zuko asked

"Sorry kid no special treatments just wait it out."Cheng said sympathetically.

Zuko past the day mostly by sleeping, but at night he would sneak out and practice. At first he would only practice earth bending but he started practicing fire bending as well so he wouldn't get rusty. Every now and then he would feel a villager or solder coming close and only practice fire bending so no one would mistake him for the avatar or an enemy. A few weeks past and Zuko was getting good, he had triad bending water or air but couldn't, at both fire and earth bending. Zuko had done nothing but eat sleep and train for the last month or so and finally the surgeons got around to him the procedure only took about an hour or so but he could finally see again, yes things where final looking up for Zuko, but old habits die hard.

Not long after Zuko got his sight back he heard that Azula was in the earth kingdom looking for Iroh and the avatar, not long after that he began having nightmares of the avatar defeating his father and the he would turn his back just intime for Azula stike killing the avatar and taking the thrown. In his dreams Azula was still a little girl but she had so much power. Finally Zuko had had enoff he was going to capture the avatar and return home, he could not alow that monster to become fire lord, so that night Zuko put on his fire nation uniform, but insted of the ghost or skull mask helmet he rapt a cloth around his head to cover his face and then put some clothes over the uniform to cover the uniform, and snuck off with one of the ostridge-horses and begain looking for the avatar and his sister.

this chaptur ends rite around the time of the blind bandit episode or mabey a little before that. Iroh has already had his incounter with Azula and is know an enemy of the Fire Nation. Azula had her incounter with aang at Omashou and is hunting him down in addition to Iroh but she thinks Zuko is dead and so dose Iroh. the next chapter will take place in the same place and time as Zuko alone.

**hi this is** **El Shaddai I just want to let you all know im kind of new to and I need alot of feed back so if you have any coments please let me now.**


	3. Unforgiven

By El Shaddai

Zuko has been on the road for a few days and he had already had all of the flashbacks from "Zuko alone" so I won't bother with them because you all know them and if you don't go watch the episode.

Zuko was riding the ostridge/horse that he stoll from the army along with a small amount of food that had run out, he had begun to steal from others using ether his fire or earth bending to get food and gold from others but he was sure to never use them both at the same time, shortly after crossing a bridge Zuko could smell food he looked to his left to see a man cooking some meat on a spit. Zuko pulled the scarf like cloth over his face and began riding towards the man thinking "this was just too easy", but then saw that there was a woman with him who was pregnant; Zuko slowed his ostridge/horse down and thought as he got close "what am I doing? I'm not a bad guy yet here I am about to steal food from this man and his wife just because it's easy, she looked like she could give birth any day she should not be walking. Maybe I should help them? There could be bandits around and they're not going to stop just because a woman is pregnant." Zuko's ostridge/horse had slowed to a walk at this point and as he approached it seemed the man hadn't even noticed him, but when his ostridge/horse made a lowed grunt the man's eyes looked up at him.

"Who are you?" the man asked

Zuko thought for a moment then said "my names not that important" Zuko took the cloth from his face.

The man picked up a stick from the ground said "come any closer I'll knock you off that ostridge/horse."

Zuko got down of the ostridge/horse and said "don't worry if I was going to rob you you'd of never seen me coming."

"what do you want?" the man asked.

"Your wife shouldn't be walking in her condition" Zuko replied

"What of it?" the man asked.

"If you'd like I can let he ride my ostridge/horse" Zuko said

"What's in it for you?" the man asked

"Nothing, just you got to feed him and me till we get to the next town, but then I can buy some food for him myself" Zuko pulled a medium sized pouch from his side and shook it up and down so that the man could hear the coins jingle.

The man looked at his wife and said "fine but don't try anything boy"

"Oh **Than** leave the boy alone he's just trying to help" the pregnant women said to her husband then turned to Zuko and said "hi I'm **Ying** and this is my husband Than where refugees headed to Ba Sing Se".

"it is very nice to meet you Ying" Zuko said

It was not long till the meet was cooked and eaten Zuko went to bed rite after eating and the next day they were off. As the past a field that appeared to be the site of a great battle Zuko could not help to think of his little sister Azula and how destructive she was he remembered one time they were playing, after his mother was banished and his father gained the throne, Azula got tired of the guards fallowing them so she told him she wanted to play tag and ran off threw all kinds of small areas and between rock till the guards lost track of them. Zuko came out of a daze when he saw a small town in front of them. There group went into town where they quickly found a place to buy feed for the ostridge/horse but then some kids in the ally next to the store throw an egg at the guards behind him and ran off. The guards asked them if they threw the egg Zuko said no then the guards ask if they saw who did Than was about to speak but Zuko cut him off by saying no one of the smaller guards asked if that was his favorite word but Zuko didn't respond then the biggest guard who had done most of the talking said that the egg had to come from some were. Zuko suggested that a chicken might have flown over. One of the guards laughed at this but the big one was not amused, he grabbed the feed and said that the army appreciated his contribution then said that they better leave town there was a penalty for staying.

The man who worked at the shop said that the solders where suppose to protect them but they were just a bunch of thugs. Then one of the kids who throw the egg popped up from behind the ostridge/horse and said "Thanks for not rating me out"

Zuko said "don't mention it"

The boy then said I'll "take you to are farm and feed your ostridge/horse for you, come on I owe you guys" then the boy grabbed the rains and led them to his farm. When they arrived all kinds of pig like animals were there making all kinds of noises the boy said "no one can ever sneak up on us"

"HUM" Zuko grunted in agreement but he was thinking about the hammers one of the solders was wearing and how useful they would be when earth bending.

"you friends of Lee's?" a man asked as they arrived wile a woman stuck her head around the corner.

Lee dragged his mother out to see us then said "this guy just stud up to the solders by the end he practically had them running away.

Lee's mother then said "does this guy have a name".

"my name is not important" Zuko said.

"That's the same answer he gave us" Than said with a small grin.

"so you're traveling with a man whose name you don't even know?" Lee's dad asked.

"my wife needed to get off her feet and he had an ostridge/horse" Than replied.

"I see" Lee's mom said "well will you three be staying for dinner".

"not if it's any trouble" Zuko said comely.

"Oh it's now trouble it's nice to have guests, besides **Ganzu** could use some help on the barn" said Lee's mom.

Zuko was hammering away on the barn doing a pretty poor job partly because he had never done this before but also because Lee kept asking him questions but after a while Lee stopped and Zuko's mind began to wander, he began to think back on that day him and Azula where both tired and panting when Zuko finally tagged Azula, Zuko took off, he knew Azula was faster than him so he needed to do something she couldn't or wouldn't to get away so as he ran he knottiest a drop off and thought she would never jump off that so he did when he landed he stopped and looked to see if she would fallow and she did, over the drop off she came but there is a lot of volcanoes around the fire nation and were the is volcanoes there is obsidian. Azula landed on a piece of obsidian that had broken off somewhere, she fell to the ground and cried out. Zuko was about to start running but she was in pain and he felt bad because she was fallowing him so he went back to help her.

"are you ok" Zuko asked.

"of core I'm not ok dumdum" Azula said "this is your fault you now".

"sorry I didn't think you would jump" said Zuko.

"well now you half to carry me back and dad's going to be mad at you for running off without the guards" Azula said.

"but that was your idea" Zuko replied angrily.

"fine if you carry me back I'll tell dad it was my idea" Azula said.

"ok" Zuko agreed.

After he finished with the barn Zuko and the others sat down to dinner although Zuko didn't say much and rite after dinner he went to bed and began to dream.

After carrying Azula back and telling their dad what happened Ozai sent for a doctor and a surgeon to remove the piece of obsidian from her foot and treat the wound. After it was all done and the doctors left Ozai turned to Zuko and said "your sister said you told her to jump".

"what? Dad she is lying" Zuko said angrily.

"don't you raise your vice at me boy." Ozai smacked Zuko across the face, this was not the first time Ozai had hit Zuko but it was the first time in front of Azula. "because of you Azula almost died today".

"how?" Zuko asked.

"How? I've told you before obsidian is not like other rocks it doesn't shatter, it splinters because of that it can get into your blood stream and cause your heart to fail".

"sorry I didn't remember" Zuko apologized.

"well then I'll make sure you never forget" Ozai replied.

Zuko awoke suddenly to the animal making a lot of noise Zuko stepped outside to see the thugs, from the previous day, riding up. Zuko quickly got on the ostridge/horse and rode between the thugs and Lee's family. The thugs told the family that their son was captured. Later on when Zuko and the others are leaving Ganzu told them he's going to look for their son, when Zuko hears this he goes to Lee gives him the pearl dagger his uncle gave him then he told the boy to look out for his mother.

Later on that day Lee's mom comes running after them asking Zuko to help Lee who tried to protect his mother from the solders with the knife he gave him. Zuko rides of to save Lee but first he stops at the farm to gab the hammers that they were using to fix the barn. Zuko runs into town with one hammer in each hand.

"see I told you he would come" Lee said

"Let him go" Zuko said

"hahahaha who do you think you are" said the biggest of the solders

"it doesn't matter who I am" said Zuko "what matters is who you, you're not solders, your bullies, freeloaders abusing their power mostly over women and children, you don't want Lee for your army, your just sick cowards picking on a family that has already lost one son to the war"

"you're just going to take insults like that from a stranger?" the biggest of them said to the smaller ones. One of the smaller ones attacked and Zuko hit the tip of his spear with one hammer and struck him over the head with the other knockings him on his back behind the others.

Another one of the small ones attacked, Zuko with two well placed kicks disarmed the man and knocked him flat on his back.

The last of the smaller thugs attacks, Zuko throws one of the hammers and hits him on the head knocking him unconscious.

Now only the biggest remained, Zuko move the only hammer he has left to his right hand while the thug pulled out his hammers and struck one against the ground which caused a rock to stick out of the ground the, thug hit the protruding rock and sent it at Zuko. Zuko broke the rock with the hammer he had. The big thug hit the ground with both hammers causing a pillar of stone to shoot from the ground he then hit the pillar so that it sent two rocks flying at Zuko. Zuko broke one rock then spun around and broke the other but while his back was turned the thug sent a third rock at him that hit him in the gut. Zuko shuck it off and began running towards the thug and picked up the other hammer without stopping. The thug began to spin slowly while hitting the ground causing a large number of rocks to go flying a Zuko in a rapid succession. Zuko began to block them very well, so the thug hit the ground trying to cause a pillar to shoot out of the ground and Zuko, but Zuko makes a pillar come out of the ground under each of his feet to aid his jump over the pillar the thug shot at him and then with a combination of earth and fire bending he hit the ground causing a large wave of fire and earth to hit the thug knocking the hammers from his hands and sending him into a wall. The thug looked up at Zuko with a combination of both fear and regret that caused Zuko to have one last flash back.

He was laying in bed but could not sleep his ribs hurt and so did the left half of his face Zuko, could hear small soft foot steps outside his door and he knew it was Azula because she was limping do to her hurt foot then the door opened slowly and her soft broken and quivering voice came into his room.

"Zuko, Are you awake?" Azula asked Zuko could tell by her voice that she had been crying.

"what do you want Azula!" Zuko said angular.

Zuko heard the door close and Azula limp walk over and turn on the light. Zuko sat up and looked at her; she had tears rolling down her cheeks. Zuko got up walked over to her, but before he could say anything she began to talk.

"I'm sorry Zuko I didn't know he would … I mean …I didn't mean for this to happen, Zuko if I could take it back I would but" Azula got down on her hand and knees with her face to the floor and said loudly "I'm sorry Zuko I'm so sorry please don't hate me for this and please find it in your heart to forgive me.

"forgive her" Zuko thought as he looked into the Mirer "how can I" Zuko looked at his left eye and how swollen it was after the beating his dad gave him the up left part of his face was black and blue "I can't" Zuko thought "this is unforgivable, I don't care if the memory of this day haunts her for the rest of her life I will never for giver now matter what" Zuko looked down into Azula's golden eye he saw her tear soaked cheeks and he felt all his anger go away "damn it I can't do it!" Zuko then said to Azula "it's not your fault".

Azula's eye lit up when he said this and she gave him hug but quickly pulled away when Zuko made sounds of pain.

Zuko was then pulled from his flash back by the big thugs voice "who …who are you"

Zuko picked up the thugs hammers and said "what good is my name to a dead man?" Zuko swung one of the hammers down on his head killing him.

Zuko fix the thugs belt to allow him to carry the hammers he then set off to catch up to the other but when Lee's mom asked him why he killed the thug he had only this to say "I will not make the same mistake twice.


	4. Obsidia breaks free

By El Shaddai

This story begins the day before "The Chase"

Zuko Ying and Than were walking along when they came across a small town that had been destroyed by the fire nation there they found a girl who looked to be about Zuko's age, she wore mostly green clothes and didn't talk much. That evening well Than was making dinner Zuko decided to talk to the girl.

"Hi" Zuko said "would you like to talk about what happened".

"No" the girl said coldly.

"Ok, would you like to talk about something ells?" Zuko asked.

"Like what?" the girl said.

"I don't know, where are you from?" Zuko asked

"Wale Tale Island" the girl said

"What are you doing this far north?" Zuko asked

"when the fire nation took Wale Tale Island my sister, fang, and I got to the main land and headed for Ba Sing Se but we found that town and the people where so nice to us we didn't want to leave" the girls vice broke with emotion and pain "we where there for three years till today, we felt so safe but the fire nation just destroyed everything, even my sister." The girl began to cry heavily and Zuko put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry for your loss" Zuko said "what a weak little brat" a voice in Zuko's head said, Zuko had gotten use to this voice it had been there since he killed the thug a few days ago.

"Thank you" the girl said to Zuko "my name is **Huan**"

Zuko could tell that Huan was expecting him to give his name but the voice in his head said "don't tell her your name stupid"

"Well then what name should I give her" Zuko thought

"How about Lee?" said the voice

"My name is Lee" Zuko told Huan awkwardly.

"Well 'Lee' where are you from" Huan asked.

"Tell her you were born in the fire nation colonies" the voice said

"I was born in the fire nation colonies" Zuko said much more believably.

"Oh well that explains a lot" Huan said.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Zuko asked.

"Well you have golden eyes for one, also you're so stiff like a solder and I here every one is like that in the fire nation" Huan replied rather smugly. "Know I have a question for you, how did you get those scars?"

"From an officer in the fire nation navy for getting in his way" Zuko answered.

"Ha that's a fire nation officer for you always quick to shout fire at people" Huan said.

"Yeah" Zuko agreed.

"Ok dinner is finished" Than said

**TIME: this point where they are about to eat dinner is rite around the time Katara is asking Toph to help set up camp.**

After dinner they all went to bed, Zuko gave his sleeping bag to Huan to use. Just as the sun was coming up Zuko heard a voice he hadn't heard since the North Pole, a winy obnoxious voice, Sokka's voice he seemed to be saying something about falling asleep. Zuko looked up and sure enough a two ton flying bison had just appeared from the other side of a high ridge. "What are you waiting for get up" the voice in Zuko's head cried out.

Zuko got up as quickly as he could, got dressed and was about to get on the ostridge/horse and after them but he remembered that ying needed it to get to Ba Sing Se so he left it and took off on foot.

When the others woke to the sound of Azula's tank passing by the first thing Huan noticed was that "Lee" was gone.

Zuko could easily fallow the bison's trail of shedded fur and as he ran he heard the voice in his head start to talk again "Zuko, stop running and listen". Zuko stopped and was about to ask what he was listening for when he heard a loud rumbling noise. "Quick hide" the voice in his head said sternly. Zuko jumped into some nearby bushes and watched as a large tank came rolling passed "quick jump on the back of that thing".

"Why?" Zuko asked.

"Because the odds are that thing is chasing down the avatar know move." the voice responded quickly. Zuko quickly jumped on the back of the tank, after a little bit the voice said 'ok, I don't think they know we are here". Zuko looked around to see there was nothing but a very small ledge to stand on and he had to hold on to the roof to keep from falling off. After about an hour and a half the tank stopped Zuko listened to hear the people in the tank get out Zuko got off the back of the tank and put his hand to the ground, he could feel three advisedly female figures walk to the edge of a river then one of them spoke in the unmistakably mopey voice of Mai.

"Wods of wet fur how delightful." Mai said sarcastically.

"Hm … there not wods, there more like bundles, or bunches? It has an uh sound in it." Said one of the other girls. Zuko looked quickly and saw it was Ty Lee and the last was noun other than his little sister Azula.

"Clumps?" Mai asked.

"Clumps, there clumps" Ty Lee said loudly then Zuko felt her hug Mai.

After Ty Lee let go of Mai, Mai then said "the trail goes off in this direction" and pointed off in one direction.

Azula looked around and then said "the avatar is trying to give us the slip, you two head in that direction and keep an eye out for the bison" Azula pointed across the river. "I'll fallow this trail" Azula gestured towards the tail of fur.

After the girls left Zuko looked in both direction and said "which way do I go?"

"fallow the trial of fur" the voice in his head said

"Why?" Zuko asked

"Just trust me on this, I was right about the tank wasn't I" said the voice.

Zuko fallowed the trial of fur till he came to a small town he could see Azula about to face off with the avatar so he moved over to the left around a group of buildings and the into one of them. "Now what do I do?" Zuko thought.

"You won't be doing anything ever again" the voice in his head said. Zuko suddenly found himself in pure darkness staring into a mirror

"Where am I?" Zuko asked

"Where you've kept me for so long" the mirror became transparent to reveal a much larger Zuko bound with chains.

"Who are you?" Zuko asked.

"I'm you, just a little darker and allot stronger". The chains which wrapped around the other Zuko unwound and broke through the glass to grab Zuko. The other Zuko walk through the mirror and then the chains pulled Zuko into it and the glass reseal.

The other Zuko could hear Azula ask the avatar if he really wanted to fight her so he pulled the cloth over his face pulled the hammers from there holster and stepped out between the avatar and Azula and said "the boy may not want to fight you but I do"

"And just who exactly are you?" Azula asked

The other Zuko had already prepared his response for this question "I am Obsidia the bastard son of a fire nation woman and the spirit of a volcano." Obsidia then hit the ground with one hammer causing a pillar to shout up at Azula but she jumped out of the way and sent a ball of blue fire at him. Obsidia block the fire ball with one of the hammers and sent another at her with the other. Blocked the fire ball and kicked a wave of blue fire at him. Obsidia used both earth and fire bending to rocket his way through the wave and towards her, but Azula jumped to the left and once he passed her she jumped back, towards the house Obsidia /Zuko walked out of, then she sent another fire ball at Obsidia. Obsidia swung his hammers as he turned around blocking the fire ball and then lifted the hammers over his head just then Azula shot a very quick blast at him, trying to stop him from hitting the ground, Obsidia stomped on the ground with his right foot causing two pillars of earth to come up from the ground and hit the back of the hammers making them move faster to intercepted the fire ball before it hit him an fallowed through to the ground causing a concentrated blast of earth and fire to hit Azula. Azula tried to block the blast but there was too much and it hit her on the left side and sending her through the wall behind her.

Zuko is sitting in the dark wrapped in chains when he hears Obsidia's voice "hey Zuko guess what I'm about to do"

"What?" Zuko asked.

"I'm about to kill your little sister, and I want you to watch." Obsidia replied.

Zuko looked up to see a large screen that should Azula lying there with her back against the wall with her head slump forward and her hand holding her left side. "leave he alone" Zuko said.

"Leave her alone he says, Obsidia began to talk "Zuko think of what she has done to us, think the time she lied to are father to save her own ass."

"She didn't know" Zuko said quickly.

"so what if she didn't" Obsidia cried out "she still didn't try to stop him while it was happening, and you saw just as I did that smirk she had on her face as our father burned ours yet you still for gave her well won't I am going to make her pay".

Zuko looked up at the screen and saw Azula's face and thought "I now she is evil I now she deserves it but I can't blame her for what happened to me and I can't let her be punished for are father's sins" Zuko got up and the chains broke through the mirror and wrapped up Obsidia and pulled him back behind the glass and Zuko stepped out and it resealed behind him.

"No, how is this possible I am stronger than you" Obsidia said angrily.

"No you're not you just have more hatred than I do" replied Zuko calmly.

Zuko regained control of his body and walked over to Azula's lizard thing and took some rope off of it he then turned to the avatar and asked "why are you still here?" Zuko gestured for Aang to fly away and so he did. Zuko first tied Azula's hands behind her back then he tied her feet together and put her on the lizard and fallowed the tail back to the tank where Ty Lee and Mai where waiting.

"Who are you?" Ty Lee asked.

Zuko thought "what the heck" then said "my name is Obsidia" he then threw Azula on the ground and got off of the lizard and saw that both had gotten ready to fight. "Relax if I had come to fight you would never have seen me coming".

"than what do you want?" Mai asked.

"I just want you to tell her when she wake to go back home, because if she gets in my way again I will kill her. Oh and one more thing," Zuko pulled out both his hammers jumped up and slammed them into the ground making a wave of fire and earth that tipped over the tank and melted the tracks to the wheals. "well I think that's everything" Zuko then walked away, but Obsidia had one last thing to say.

"This is not over Zuko somehow I will get out of here and when I do I will make you watch as I destroy everything you love.

**The next chapter will take place during "the desert" episode.**


	5. The White Lotus

By EL Shaddai

Zuko had been tracking the avatar for a few days now and watched them fly off into the desert with the professo_r_ and the little blind girl named Toph. Zuko figured from what he had heard that they would be headed to ba sing se after they were finished so he listened to other people talk to he could find the quickest way to travel through the desert, it didn't take long for him to find out that the quickest way was with the sand benders on their gliders so and he was going to pay them off for a ride but then he saw that the fire nation had put up a new wanted poster, of Obsidia. He was wanted for the murder of Zuko and the attempted murder of Azula. The pay for him was enormous so he couldn't trust the sand benders not to turn him in. Zuko came up with the plan to attacked one of the sand benders steal his clothes and goggle then leave is thing hidden in town then he would get on one of the gliders and learn how to navigate on them before stealing it and returning to get his stuff. The plan went off without a hitch, he had learned that the compos on the glider didn't point north but rather to the center of the desert, he also stoll a map of the desert that helped him find his way back to the glacier. Once he was back in town he took down the wanted poster of him then dug up his things and put them back on, his clothes and belt with the holsters for his hammers alone with the cloth he put over his face, then he went into a small tavern to buy supplies.

Zuko was in the tavern, after getting his supplies, and was going to have drink before he left when he saw his uncle enter. Iroh didn't see him or the two men that fallowed him in. Iroh sat down and started to play a game of pai sho with another old man. Zuko put his hand against the dirt wall and listened to Iroh, the other old man and the two that fallowed him in.

"Let's take him know." The bigger of the two men said.

"This place is full of desperate characters." The other responded. "if they find out we are collecting a bounty we might have to fight them all just to keep are prize, patience."

"My I have this game?" Iroh asked the other old man.

"The guest has the first move" the other old man answered. Iroh moved the white lotus peace to the center of the bored "I see you favor the white lotus gambit, not many still cling to the ancient ways." The old man put his hands out in front of him and opened them like a book.

"Those who do can always find a friend" Iroh answered wile mimicking this hand motion.

"Then let us play" the other man responded. Both men carefully placed each peace to form a flower around the board with the white lotus gambit at the center. "Welcome brother, the white lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."

"What are these old gas bags talking about?" Zuko thought.

"The order of the white lotus stupid" Obsidia answered.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked.

"The order of the white lotus it's pretty much just a bunch of old farts whom have sworn an oath to always help each other."Obsidia said.

"How do you know that?" Zuko asked.

"Because unlike you I actually listen to others" Obsidia answered.

"I'm not waiting all night for these geezers to finish yapping" the bigger of the two men who fallowed Iroh in said. "It's over this old fugitive is coming with me."

"I knew it" the other old man stood up and walked between Iroh and the two men "you are a wanted criminal with a giant bounty on your head"

"Looks like Iroh trusted the wrong man" Zuko thought.

"I doubt that" Obsidia answered

"You think you're going to capture him and collect all that gold" the old man finished.

"Gold?" one of the other men in the tavern asked like he really needed money. All of the men in the bar stood up and got ready to fight for the bounty.

The smaller of the two men said to the bigger one, that was getting ready to fight as well, "maybe we shouldn't" but the bigger one just smiled and stepped forward. Within a few second one of the other men in the tavern attacked the big guy who began to earth bend quite impressively and soon the whole plays was being torn apart and Iroh was being snuck out the door by the other old man.

"See" said Obsidia smugly.

"Shut up" responded Zuko as he got up to fallow Iroh. The old man led Iroh to a flower shop and Zuko fallowed. Zuko didn't go inside the flower shop instead he put his hand against the back wall and listened. Zuko felt Iroh and the old man talking

"It is an honor to welcome such a high ranking member of the order of the white lotus" said the old man. "Being a grand master you must know so many secrets" Zuko could feel them both walk to the back of the shop and knock on the door. The slot on the door opened and a man's eyes looked out.

"Who knocks at the garden gate?" the man asked.

"Someone who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." Iroh answered. The man let him into the room. Zuko listened threw the walls and could her them talking, after a few minutes of talking, and over an hour of semantics, they settled on him hiding in ba sing se where he would be safe from the fire nation.

"He is headed in the same direction as you why don't you give him a ride" Obsidia said.

"Why?" Zuko asked.

"He is your uncle; I thought you cared about him. Do you really want to force him to walk all the way there" asked Obsidia.

"You right he's too old to make that trip on foot" Zuko answered. Zuko heard Iroh leave the room and walk out into the flower shop, a young man opened the front door and said

"I have the pass port for are guest but there are two men outside looking for him."

"Walk through the wall" Obsidia told Zuko.

"What why?" Zuko asked.

"Look we don't have time for this just do as I say." Obsidia said angrily.

"Fine" Zuko said just as angrily. Zuko used his earth bending to open the wall and walk in and then close the wall up behind him. Zuko looked around to see Iroh ready to fight him.

"who are you?" the old man asked

"My name is Obsidia" Zuko replied. Iroh's filled with anger.

"So you've come to kill me to have you?" Iroh asked with his hand up and ready to fight.

"No" Zuko answered "why would I?"

"You killed my nephew and tried to kill my niece" Iroh answered.

"Tell him you where friends with Zuko and that Azula lie and blamed you for his death." Obsidia said.

"No Zuko was my friend I would never have killed him it was Azula." Zuko said "she killed him and blamed me to avoid any punishment."

Iroh lowered his hands a little then said "that does sound like something Azula would do, but how do I know I can trust you"

"Pull out the wanted poster" Obsidia demanded. Zuko did so and Iroh looked at it. "know tell him that you can't turn him in because they'll arrest you to."

"You see I can't turn you in because they want me more" Zuko said sternly.

"Then what do you want?" Iroh asked.

"I have a glider buried just outside of town if you'd like I could give you a ride across the desert" Zuko answered.

"Tell him it's what Zuko would have wanted you to do." Obsidia said

"I know Zuko would have wanted me to help you, he thought the world you, you know." Zuko said

"Nice touch" Obsidia applauded.

Iroh agreed to go with him so they put them both in some potted plants and carried them to the glider where Zuko uncovered it with his earth bending and they both to off.


	6. Obsidia's true strength

By El Shaddai

Zuko and Iroh had left the glider in the desert and continued there journey on foot. By the end of the day Iroh was in moon light bay and on a fairy, Zuko didn't have a passport and was thrown out, not literally, by Suki of the Kyoshi warriors luckily the map he stoll from the sand benders showed a small sliver of land connecting the south to the north called the serpents' pass.

Zuko began to walk down the serpents' pass past the sign that read "abandon hope" without even giving it a second glance. As he walked he noticed a fire navy ship a few miles back shooting fire at the wall that the serpents' pass was dug into, but he turned his back too soon to see one of the fire balls come flying back at the ship.

Later on Zuko set up a rock tent to block the sun set from his eyes so he could fall asleep early and be up with the sun, but the tent also stopped him from seeing the camp fire on the hill behind him.

The next day Zuko got up early and began to walk farther down the serpents' pass but after an hour or two he came across part of the pass that had been submerged in water. "Just fire bend over it" Obsidia suggested.

"What and leave some unlucky refugee stranded halfway through the pass? I don't think so." Zuko answered. Zuko pulled out his hammers and stuck the ground with them. Earth sprung up from under the water to start the formation of a bridge, he then began striking the ground with one hammer then the other forming the left side fallowed by the right and continuing down the pass slow forming a bridge one yard (three feet) at a time. Zuko was about half way across when he saw a large sea serpent come out of the water and attack him.

"Whale I guess that's why they call it the serpents' pass" Obsidia said smugly as Zuko dodged the serpents' attack. The serpents' tale hit the stone bridge but the bridge did not break. Zuko used his hammers to send fire balls at the serpent, one of which hit it in the face causing the serpent to let out a wiper and swim under the water. Just then Zuko hear a girl cry out.

"Lee!" cried out Huan as she came from around the corner. Zuko looked over in her direction to see her, ying, Than and then he saw the avatar and his group with them. Huan started to run towards him Zuko looked out to see the dark shadow of the serpent moving toward her very fast. There was no time to warn Huan so Zuko spun around once and sent a large fire ball with the hammers that hit the serpent right in the face just as it came out of the water. The serpent was hit so hard that its head flew into the rock Huan was shocked to see not only was he a fire bender but such a powerful one. The serpent got up from the blast, went under water and swam away. Zuko walked back to the side where the others were standing.

"Are you ok?" Zuko asked Huan. Katara, Suki and Sokka got ready to fight but Aang stopped them.

"Obsidia, I never got a chance to thank you for your help with prices Azula." Aang said.

Obsidia laughed and said "help? That implies that he did something".

"If by help you mean did all the work for you then you are welcome" Zuko paraphrased Obsidia's comment.

Huan then spoke again "you told me your name was Lee and you never said you were a fire bender."

"You never asked" Zuko replied then he turned to Aang and asked "so kid can you earth bend yet?"

"A little, why? Aang answered.

"Because I built more than half the bridge so you can do the rest" Zuko replied.

"You could use the practice twinkle toes" Toph added on. While Aang did all that work finishing the bridge without the assistants of hammers Zuko decided to strike up a conversation with Huan.

"So how have things been sins I last saw you?" Zuko asked Huan.

"Well first I wandered where you could have gone without having the decency to leave a note" Huan punched Zuko in the arm "but then I remembered you left you ostridge/horse and sleeping bag so I knew you would come back, and you did."

"I see" Zuko responded "but what are you guys doing on the serpents' pass?"

"Someone stole are pass ports" Huan answered.

"There I'm done" Aang said rudely.

"You want to try that again without the attitude?" Zuko asked wile putting his hand on one of the hammers.

"Sorry I'm just a little tired that's all" Aang replied squeamishly.

"Good" Zuko replied while taking his hand off his hammer.

"Just who do you think you are threatening the avatar like that?" Suki demanded.

"I am Obsidia, weren't you listening?" Zuko answered smugly.

"Wait I know you, I threw you out of moon light bay just yesterday for not having a pass port." Suki said.

"yes and know I am running late thanks to you" Zuko answered.

"Ahh the baby is coming" ying said.

"What now can't you hold it in or something?" Sokka asked just before Zuko slapped him on the back of the head for being an idiot.

"Sokka calm down I helped gran gran deliver lots of babies back home" Katara said

"This isn't the same as delivering an arctic seal this is a real human thing" Sokka said rather stupidly, as Huan and Suki moved to stop Zuko from hitting Sokka again.

"It's called a baby and I helped to deliver plenty of those too." Katara said "Aang get some rags, Sokka water, Toph I need you to make an earth tent, a big one, Obsidia …

"No way, like I said I'm running late" Zuko said before running down the trail towards Ba Sing Se.

"You scared of seeing ying give birth?" Obsidia asked Zuko.

"Know I just wanted to get away from them" Zuko answered "why did you want to stay?"

"Yan forbid, in fact I would love to get there before Azula." Obsidia replied.

"Azula? I sent her home" Zuko told Obsidia.

"do you real believe she listened?" Obsidia asked Zuko.

"no" Zuko replied.

When Zuko reached the wall he began earth bending his way up it, once at the top he heard Obsidia speak. "Look behind you what is that?" Zuko turned around to see a massive drill coming towards the wall very slowly.

"I don't know but whatever it is it's headed for the wall." Zuko said

"Who are you and what are you doing on the wall?" two solders asked as they walked up to Zuko.

"Tell them you need to speak to whoever is in charge" Obsidia told Zuko.

"I need to speak to whoever is in charge" Zuko said to the guards.

"Who are you?" the guards asked again.

"I am Obsidia" Zuko said.

"Who?" The guards asked.

"Show them the wanted poster" Obsidia told Zuko.

"Uhh here" Zuko handed the guards his wanted poster.

"I see so you like to fight the fire nation well that's all I need to know" one of the guards said "come with us". The guards led Zuko to a room where a rather interesting looking general was sitting at a desk.

"if you are looking for protection from the fire nation you have come to the right place" the general told Zuko "but I will need to see your pass port".

"Tell him you want to help with the drill problem" Obsidia told Zuko.

"I am not looking for safety I want to help you fight" Zuko told the general.

"I appreciate the gesture but you will have to go to the drafting office like every one ells" the general told Zuko

Just then one of the solders told the general "the terra team was ready to go after the drill sir."

"Zuko, Azula is in that drill you have to be on the team that moves to take it out." Obsidia told Zuko.

"Azula is on that drill I know her and her tactics if you give me command of the team going down there I can take that thing down without a single life being lost on our side."

"Hm. Are you certain of that?" the general asked.

"Without a doubt" Zuko answered.

"Very well I will give you command of the terra team but if one man is lost the blame is on you and I will have you removed from Ba Sing Sa forever" the general told Zuko.

"Ever ever ever" Obsidia said mockingly.

Zuko went down to the ground floor and met the terror team, they were a bunch of big guys with a lot of muscle, he asked the what there plan was they said they were going to try and flip the drill with their earth bending. The plan looked like it might work to Zuko but Obsidia didn't agree.

"That drill must weigh about a thousand tons do you really think twenty or so guy can tip it?" Obsidia said

"Well we can try" Zuko replied.

"Well you can also fail" Obsidia said rather snarky

"Well have you got a better plan" Zuko asked

"Well I don't know about better but it has a far less chance of any one dying on our side.

**Sometime later **

"Alright terra team listen up I have a plan that require the enemy to not know I'm here so I am going to need a uniform" said Zuko

**Right around the time Aang and the others are on the wall **

"Alright 2/3 of you stay here and wait for my signal, the rest of you come with me." Zuko gave commands to the terra team the small force that Zuko took with him easily got past the little wall chimers that were protecting the drill and moved up beside the drill then they formed a V in front of Zuko, who was wherein a captains uniform with a mask and goggles so his face could not be seen, and then pushed a large pillar of rock into the side of the drill but it didn't move.

The drill moved forward breaking the pillar off of it and kept moving like nothing happened just then daggers came flying at them from on top of the drill, but they blocked them with ease. Then Ty Lee landed between Zuko and the terra team, Zuko jumped back and watched as Ty Lee took down the terra team without a drop of sweat. Ty Lee and Mai where both looking at him now, Ty Lee began sprinting at him while Mai tried to keep him pinned down. Zuko put his left hand on his right hip with his left arm across the front of his body and he put his right hand on his left hip with his right arm going across his back, then Zuko quickly moved his arms around him till his left arm was on his back and his right arm was on his front this caused a large amount of thin pillars with pointed ends to come up from the ground and incase him in a cone with spike on top of it. Mai's daggers bounced right off of the cone and Ty Lee could not break it ether, then Zuko took off his shoes to feel the ground. Zuko sent a small earth quake towards Ty Lee with one of his hammers, Ty Lee jumped up to avoid it, but then Zuko made a small hole in the side of the cone so he could see Ty Lee in the air so when Ty Lee landed the ground opened up and close so she was buried up to her neck. Zuko walked throw the cone making a suite of armor out of it. Zuko walked to the drill, with Mia's daggers just bouncing off of him, and raised his hammers in the air then he hit the ground with all his might sending, a far bigger than the terra team's pillar of earth, pillar of earth and fire at the drill but still it did not move.

Once again Zuko found himself in a world of complete darkness looking at the world through a screen on the nonexistent wall in front of him. "It seems you need my strength" Obsidia's voice echoed all around him "here, take it" Zuko felt a warm hand on his back then he felt like he was being filled with the power of a thousand suns. Zuko found himself back in his body he lifted the hammers above his head and hit the ground but this time a blast of hot lava came bursting out of the ground and in to the drill melting part of the outside and tipping it over. Zuko was so tired after that blast that he dropped to his knees.

"Ha ha ha looks like you wasted all you energy on one blast" Azula's voice was like nails on a chock bored "It won't be easy but will break through that wall, it's a shame you won't be around to see it". Zuko lifted one hand in the air and pumped his first once and small flare shot went into the air. "Ha ha what was that I'm over here dumb dumb.

"Uh Azula" Mai said plainly while trying to dig Ty Lee out "you might want to look behind you." Azula looked back towards Ba Sing Sa and saw both the avatar and the rest of the terra team coming toward them. Azula looked back towards Zuko who was gone so she helped get Ty Lee out of the ground and ran off before they got to her.

"I found him!" Toph said loudly as she use her earth bending to dig up Zuko who had buried himself when Azula looked away. Katara was able to heal Zuko but he was awake so no one removed his mask.

**Later on that night **

Zuko was still in the infirmary when he said "who are you?" to Obsidia.

"What do you mean I'm you" Obsidia answered.

"No you not I didn't have time to ask before but how did you know Azula was on that drill?" asked Zuko impatiently

"Come on when you hate someone as much as I do her you can just feel them" Obsidia answered.

"Don't lie to me" Zuko said angrily. Zuko once again finds himself in a world of come pleat darkness with Obsidia standing in front of him "I know you're not me, when you gave me your straight it didn't feel like that power was mine it didn't even feel human it felt like you where some kind of spirit"

"hee hee hee" Obsidia sniggered "clever boy" a large grin creped across his face


	7. spirits at war

Spirits at war By El Shaddai

Sorry it took so long I was in LA for my niece's birth day and Easter Sunday and I've got the whole week free.

Zuko was in come pleat darkness staring at Obsidia who was no longer chained up. Obsidia walked through the mirror and towards Zuko, Obsidia began to look bigger his strong muscular body that once looked like Zuko's own body became taller and he was wherein a black skin tight suit just like the one Zuko where when he was the blue spirit. Obsidia's face began to change from an older bigger and stronger version of Zuko's to a blue animal like face with jagged upper teeth and white lines painted from the nose around the mouth just like the blue spirit mask that Zuko had worn only it was alive.

"Who or what are you?" Zuko asked.

"you all have different names for us" Obsidia replied with the jagged teeth moving up and down in his mouth " guardians, reapers, but when you see are faces in your dreams or as you die you all call us what we are, blue spirits."

"You're the blue spirit?" Zuko asked

"No you idiot, blue spirits are a class of spirit, some guide you to your destiny while others just show you the way to the next world." Obsidia said condescendingly "But then there is the one that you all call the avatar whom no longer serves a purpose"

"What are you talking about how is that kid a blue spirit?" Zuko asked

"not the kid but rather the thing he gets his power from when he goes into what you call the avatar state" Obsidia replied.

"But I thought the avatar was just all the people that it had been in its previous lives?" Zuko said confused.

"The avatar was the first of us, are oldest brother if you will" Obsidia began to explain "we were all created to guide humans to peace, because when humans fight each other they destroy the land and the spirits don't like that. So in orders to keep the spirits happy are master made us to guide humans away from conflicted. The avatar decided that the best way to do that was with a peace keeper of a sort, someone stronger than any human that could keep them from fighting so he took a young man of noble birth, not unlike you, and put himself inside him once he had a physical body to focus his power he was unstoppable and every man woman and child no matter how strong bowed down before him. For a long time this worked but the longer he spent in a human body the more he fused with the human soles till he became only a small part of the avatar, just a voice in a crowd he can't even talk to the avatar like I can you without the current vessel asking to speak with him.

"So you're telling me is Aang has all of his power and he can't talk to Aang unless Aang asks to and sins Aang doesn't know he is there he won't ask" Zuko tried to make scents of what Obsidia has just told him.

"More or less" Obsidia replied.

"Well that explains why the avatar doesn't know all of this but why are you here?" Zuko asked.

"Have you seen the war Zuko?" Obsidia asked "the fire nation is an unstoppable force and the earth kingdom is an unmovable object while the air nomads were wiped out like dogs and the water tribes hide in there frozen wastelands or in desisted swamps."

"Get to the point" Zuko is growing impatient.

"Earth and fire boy" Obsidia stated "they are the two most powerful elements yet they fight each other when they should be allies. That is my fight."

"That still doesn't tell me why you're here or why you chose me" Zuko said rudely. Obsidia grabbed Zuko by the throat and picked him up with one hand

"Don't get snippy with me boy!" Obsidia said angrily. Obsidia put Zuko down " know where was I … ah yes earth and fire you see blue spirits are born tied to an element they exist only as long as a bender has it so we usually guard are benders."

"So if earth and fire benders go extinct you will disappear?" Zuko asked

"Not if I have a physical body like I do know and only one of my elements needs to go away for me or any blue spirit to disappear." Obsidia responded "although most blue spirits only halve one element anyway but so long as the avatar exists he or she can have a child of any element so as long as it exists no bender can go extinct."

"So you want to protect the avatar?" Zuko asked.

"No you dolt I want to kill him along with the last of the air benders" Obsidia replied

"But why?" Zuko asked

"Because earth and fire are the two most powerful elements and my master believes only the strong disserve to survive" Obsidia answered

"Who is this master you keep talking about?" Zuko asked

"my master was once one of the most powerful spirits in existence but when the avatar lost power they all feared a revolt amongst the blue spirits so they came to the physical world where we had no power" Obsidia began "my master has a very powerful physical body that he used to put me in your body, don't you remember?"

"I thought that was a dream" Zuko said.

"That was not a dream; my master took you onto his back after your ship went down and gave you me to guide you to a new destiny." Obsidia answered

"What new destiny?" Zuko asked

"You and I are to replace the avatar and bring about a new area of peace, one that will last until the end of time" Obsidia answered

"But why me?" Zuko asked

"I could not just choose anybody" Obsidia began "my vessel must distend from the avatar and I needed royalty so I would have the power to change the world"

"But why me why not my sister?" Zuko asked

"Azula may have more raw talent but her body itself is rather week and look what my power did to you, think what it would have done to her" Obsidia answered

"Ok so if I just pretend that all of this makes sense why are the air blue spirits not trying to stop us" Zuko asked

"you think there not there is a war going on not just in your world but also in the spirit world, that is why we must do this right because it's the only way to insure are victory in the spirit world" Obsidia answered

"So then where do we start?" Zuko asked

"We need a way to get rid of the avatar and put you on the throne before Sozin's comet has past" Obsidia stated "also we cannot let Ba Sing Se fall to anyone other than us"

"Why?" Zuko asked

"Because if we do it will look like fire is stronger than earth and the last thing I need is fighting amongst my spirits" Obsidia replied

"well then are first move should be to get to Ba Sing Se" Zuko said as he got up from the bed in the infirmary and put on his earth Kingdome uniform he then snuck out of there and got on the tracks that the train uses to get to Ba Sing Se, Zuko then used his earth bending to move along the tracks toward the city.

Once Zuko was in the city he found Iroh at a tea shop, he had a job there making tea, then Zuko asked him "so Iroh"

"Muchi" Obsidia corrected him

"Muchi" Zuko continued "I was wandering if I could stay at your place for a few days while I try to find a job"

"I would be honored to have a hero in my home but I thought you already had a job defending the city" Iroh answered as he handed Zuko a cup of tea

"Ohh yeah that was just a onetime thing" Zuko said "I could pay you rent"

"No, you've done enough for me and for this city already" Iroh answered.

Zuko and Iroh returned to Iroh's home but as Zuko's hand touched the door he noticed through the ground that they were being followed by a young man with two hooked blades one on each hip.

"Obsidia" Zuko said in his head

"I feel him to" Obsidia answered

**Next chapter "fate is cruel"**


	8. Jet the Freedom Fighter

Jet the freedom fighter By El Shaddai

"Who is he?" Zuko asked Obsidia as he sat on a bed in the corner of Iroh's studio apartment. Iroh was over by the stove getting ready to make dinner.

"How exactly am I supposed to know?" Obsidia asked.

"You always know" Zuko answered. "And, while we are on the subject, how did you know where Iroh was and how did you know Azula was on that drill?"

"I was keeping tabs on them both" Obsidia answered.

"I'm going to need more information then that" Zuko said getting a little agitated with Obsidia's short answers.

"Alright I have a few blue spirits keeping an eye on some people, than when something I need to know happens they tell me." Obsidia answered.

"Well then ask the one who is 'keeping an eye on' Iroh if he knows who this guy is" Zuko said.

"Fine" Obsidia replied. Obsidia sat down with his legs crossed and his palms facing up. His eyes closed then when they opened up he began to speak again "the boy is named Jet he is the leader of a group of revolutionaries called the freedom fighters, they stoll food from the captain on the fairy and gave it to the refugees."

"So then why is he fallowing Iroh?" Zuko asked.

"The boy saw him heating his tea with fire bending," Obsidia answered "now he is trying to prove that Iroh is a fire bender"

"Have you seen my spark rocks?" Iroh asked Zuko.

"No" Zuko answered. Iroh walked out the door then came back in.

"I barrowed are Neighbors, such kind people" Iroh said

"Hmmm, I've got an idea" Zuko told Obsidia then he said out loud to Iroh "I'll take them back" Zuko got up and walked over to Iroh who handed him the spark rocks.

"Thank you" Iroh said warmly. Zuko walked out the door then he went to the neighbors and returned the spark rocks. Zuko did not turn back towards the apartment he instead began walking out side then onto the roof of the building next to them and from there he move behind Jet.

"What do you think you doing boy?" Zuko's voice was deep and manly as he spoke.

"You?" Jet spoke "listen that man is not who you think he is, he's a fire bender"

"And?" Zuko asked.

"Aren't you a guard? Arrest him!" Jet demanded**. **

**(Remember Zuko is still dressed in an earth kingdom uniform)**

"That's not how it works" Zuko said "although fire bending is not allowed within the city we don't arrest people just for being a fire bender"

"What are you talking about he is from the fire nation" Jet said loudly.

"I know where he is from I am the one who approved his entry into are city" Zuko lied "you see there are fire nation refugees in this city just like there is earth kingdom refugees here the simple fact is they need a place that is safe from the fire nation just like you do Jet"

"No" jet could not believe what he was hearing "you can't let fire benders in here there dangerous"

"He is an old man that makes tea he is of no threat to any one" Zuko assured Jet. "Now if I catch you any were near him again I will arrest you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal" Jet replied. Jet walked away.

"Obsidia" Zuko said "have one of your spirits keep an eye on him. I want to know the very second he might do something stupid"

"Right away your majesty" Obsidia said sarcastically.

"Seriously let me know" Zuko said.

"Fine I'll keep a tab on him" Obsidia replied.

The next day Zuko woke up late, after Iroh had already left for work Zuko took off his mask and looked at himself in the mirror. His hire had grown a few inches now and was starting to feel uncomfortable under the iron shade that was part of his uniform. Zuko began walking the city streets learning more about the city and also looking for a barber shop "Obsidia" Zuko began "there is something I have been meaning to ask you"

"And what is that?" Obsidia asked

"Before you fought Azula you told her you where the bastard son of a volcano spirit and a fire nation woman ….." Zuko said "…..well?"

"Well what?" Obsidia asked.

"Is it true?" Zuko asked impatiently

"Ha ha" Obsidia laughed at the thought "you don't get it, if I was half human I would already have a body so why would I need yours"

"Then why did you say it?" Zuko asked

"Well I couldn't say hi I'm Obsidia a blue spirit that is possessing your older brother so I can change the world for my master" Obsidia said rather condescendingly.

"But why did you say anything at all?" Zuko asked

"look kid when people hear the story of Obsidia they are going to wander who he was and a lot of them are going to want him to be more than human so that is what I gave them" Obsidia said

"I see" Zuko is starting to understand how Obsidia works "so then why did you try to make me think I was insane?"

"You're kidding right?" Obsidia asked "Zuko you don't listen to any one, but you, so I figured that the only way you would listen to me was if you thought I was you. Know if you're done with all these little questions because you just passed a barber shop".

Both Zuko and Obsidia said nothing as Zuko got a skin close shave off the top of his head but after Zuko paid for the hire cut and put pack on the iron shade he began to talk to Obsidia again on his way out the door.

"Alright" Zuko began "you said we needed to control Ba Sing Sa before Azula. Right?"

"Right" Obsidia answered.

"Well Azula's mined is very predictable" Zuko continued "first she will try a head on assault like she already did with the drill. Then if that false she will resort to lying and/or tricking her enemy to get them to make a mistake."

"wait your telling me that Azula has two ways of fighting" Obsidia asked "one is like Mai all frontal attacks and the other is like Ty Lee were she will try to take you down from the inside"

"Well I never really looked at it that way but yes" Zuko answered

"So then she is going to try and sneak into the city then takes it down from the inside?" Obsidia asked

"Exactly" Zuko answered "so the first thing we need to be prepared is how she will get in"

"Well she could do what Iroh did and sneak in as a refugee" Obsidia suggested

"No Azula would never go that low for two reasons" Zuko began "one it would be disgusting and two it would take too long for her to figure out a way to over throw the king"

"Well she couldn't sneak in as a solder" Obsidia said "the earth kingdom doesn't allow female solders that young or of any age and the guards aren't allowed in the inner city because that area is controlled by the Dai LI"

"It doesn't matter how they get in all that matters is how they bring down the city" Zuko answered.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter you're the one who said it did" Obsidia said angrily

"Yes but then I remembered that your spirits can tell us when and how she is getting in"

"Oh that reminds me, Bad news" Obsidia said "that boy is stocking your uncle again"

"What sins when?" Zuko asked

"Sins he left for work" Obsidia said

"That was just after sun rise the sun is setting now" Zuko yelled in his mind. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I just told you I forgot" Obsidia replied. Zuko began running down the street towards Iroh's work "why are you running I'm sure he'll still be there if you walk"

"We don't know this guy he could attack my uncle any moment" Zuko said

"Oh please what are the odds of him fallowing Iroh all day just to attack him know?" Obsidia answered smugly.

"I'm not going to risk it" Zuko said

"Oh more bad news" Obsidia began again "Jet's friends think he might be going crazy so they refuse to help him so now he is attacking your uncle out of anger"

"Are you screwing with me?" Zuko asked

"No I swear, this not something I would joke about" Obsidia said

Zuko began to run faster as he approached the tea shop, once he got inside he saw two city watch men on the floor and Jet about to attack Iroh. "Jet" Zuko cried out in the same voice he spoke to jet on the roof in "what do you think you're doing?"

"You" Jet answered in a voice filled with rage "you allowed a fire bender to come into this city you betrayed us all" Jet then attack Zuko with both hook blades. Zuko pulled out his hammers and caught both blades just under the hammer head then he moved hands up to pinch the blade between the hammer heads and his hands. Zuko pulled Jet outside with the swords then he yanked Jet off his legs and into the air. Jets landed on his feet but know Zuko was between him and the tea shop, Jet tried to kick Zuko but he deflected it then countered with a kick of his own. Jet lost his hold of swords and flew back into the street, Zuko threw down both his hammers and Jet's swords then stepped forward and kick Jet's legs out from underneath him while he was trying to get up.

Jet was lying face down as Zuko kick him in the side but the armor stopped him from breaking anything. Jet got up and tried to hit Zuko with a right punch but Zuko blocked it and countered with a punch to the face. Jet kept circling Zuko just trying to stay on his feet but Zuko was faster than him and had put on a lot of muscle. Finally Zuko kicked jet in the jaw knocking him to the ground, but he also knocked him near his swords.

Jet picked up his swords and began to strike at Zuko, but Zuko was too fast. Jet tried and tried to hit Zuko and just as he thought he was going to get him Zuko drop his head, which had the iron shade on it, to block the sword but then Jet hooked the shade and threw it off of Zuko's head, this left Zuko in a daze.

Jet swung his right sword at Zuko; Zuko didn't react in time and got a long cut across his scalp from left to right at an angle. Jet swung his left sword at Zuko's neck but Zuko was no longer dazed. Zuko did a fire bending jump up and back flipped to land on the other side of the street facing Jet who just looked angry. Jet began running at Zuko with his arms back and just as he brought them forward to strike Zuko punched the ground causing a pillar with a fist on the end of it to shoot from the ground and hit jet in the gut. Jet flew across the street and landed in front of the tea shop unconscious.

"What is going on here" two Dai Li agents walked forward from a crowd that had gathered to watch the fight. The two city watch men that Jet had knocked out where now standing in the door way of the shop and they said

"This crazy kid attacked us and the finest tea maker in Ba Sing Sa"

"yeah and he accused the old man of being a fire nation spy" the Dai Li didn't ask any more questions once they heard that, they just to Jet away.

"you should probably have a healer take a look at that" one of the guards said "my cousin could do it for free after all you've done for me and this city … Obsidia" Zuko could feel the blood running down his left side around the goggles that hid his eyes.

Zuko reached up and held one end of the cut closed then he made a small flame with one finger and ran it along the cut siring it shut. Zuko then said "I don't think that will be necessary" Zuko then walked away. "Obsidia, keep an eye on Jet I want to know what the Dai Li does trouble makers.


	9. A Man of the People

A Man of the People By El Shaddai

**This part of the story takes place in the two weeks after Jet gets arrested and before the "lake ****Laogai" episode.**

It was late at night, Zuko did not want to fall asleep until he knew what happened to Jet "My spirit has told me what happened to Jet" Obsidia began. "The Dai Li has taken him to a secret underground base beneath Lake Laogai"

"What do they do there?" Zuko asked

"They tied him to a chair with a spinning lantern" Obsidia continued "than one of them just kept saying that there is no war in the city and that here every one is safe and that here every one is free, when it was all said and done Jet believed it then they took him to the surface gave him a new apartment, a new job and a new life."

"It sounds like some form of hypnoses" Zuko speculated

"Yes it dose" Obsidia continued "But there is more, this is not just how they treat trouble makers this is what they do to any one that mentions the war and on top of that they take refugees that came here alone, rename them _Joo Dee and use them to welcome new comers to the city."_

_ There is long pauses were no one says anything then Zuko begins to talk "So let me get this straight, they take any one who steps out of line and make them compliant, that much I get but why do they also take people who no one would miss and give them new jobs and identities?"_

_ "It's not that difficult" Obsidia began to explain "They need to keep balance and order so if there are too many crafts men and not enough cleaning people they turn crafts men into cleaning men and then that whole Joo Dee thing is probably just about free labor"_

_ "They lied" Zuko said as if he was questioning everything he once believed in "they said everyone here is free but there not everyone here is a slave"_

_ "So what?" Obsidia said "these people came here for safety not freedom"_

_ "If they just wanted safety they would have gone to a fire nation prison" Zuko said angrily "you and I both no they came here to be safe and free"_

_ "He he he, I guess those three years you spent banished have done you some good" Obsidia said._

_ "What do you mean?" Zuko asked._

_ "What you just said" Obsidia began "It didn't sound like something a spoiled palace brat like Azula would say. Over the past three years you've come to know the pain of the people. Now tell my, who is king?"_

_ "the king is king" Zuko sounded unsure "right"_

_ "That is an answer I would expect from Azula that is the answer your father and others like him have shoved down your throat. Now think for yourself, who really makes the decisions who's support, or fear, must any ruler have to keep his throne?"_

_ "The people" Zuko said _

_ "Go on" Obsidia nodded _

_ "Because the people are king" Zuko continued "people like my father or like the Dai Li need to control the people throw propaganda and fear, but if you remove their blind fold of fear from the peoples' eyes then the people will take back the power that was stolen from them"_

_ "Your thinking like a true man of the people now" Obsidia said "so what will you do now?" _

_ "I'm going to take the city" Zuko said "not for me, not for you but for the people"_

_ "Great idea but can we start tomorrow cause I'm tired"_

_ "Fine but we are not sleeping in" Zuko answered as he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep._

_ The next day Zuko wake up in the late morning with the sun shining threw the window and on to the floor. "I said we're not sleeping in" Zuko yelled in his mind._

_ "You're still a growing boy you need your rest" Obsidia said lazily_

_ Zuko got up out of bed and started to get ready for the day. Zuko had just finished washing up when he looked in the mirror the scare on his head were Jet had cut him was still sour and new to him. Zuko's face was disturbing to him so when he put on his uniform he put on the face mask that covered the bottom half of his face with the goggles that covered his eyes. _

_ Zuko was now on the street talking to Obsidia "you know I did some thinking this morning and I think I know how I can get the people on my side. You see the Dai Li has a lot of money but spends all of it keeping people in line, but they don't seem to do anything about organized crime while the city watch tries to deal with these gangsters but doesn't have the funding to find these guys or the numbers to fight them"_

_ "What are you getting at boy?" Obsidia asked rather grouchy still._

_ "You can use your spirits to search the city for them" Zuko began "then I can work with the guards to take them down block by block, then….."_

_ "let me stop you right there" Obsidia cut Zuko off "this is a big city, do you know how many spirits it would take to do that, hundreds and I can barley spear the handful I am using"_

_ "I thought you had half the spirits on your side" Zuko asked _

_ "Half! Kid I only allow earth and fire blue spirits to fight for me but that doesn't mean all of them will fight for me. I have less than a third of the blue spirits on my side while my competitors have the rest of them that is why I need to kill the water benders as well, because if I do, I kill all of them."_

_ "Well if victory in the human world is so important than I suggest you find a way to stretch your forces" Zuko said sternly._

_ "heh" Obsidia sighed "I'll see what I can do, mean while I suggest you go talk to the city watch, see if you can get them to help"_

_ "Alright" Zuko answered_

_ Zuko walked to the city watch where he met the captain of the guard a large strong man named __Ping__ "so what bring an earth kingdom hero like you to the city watch" ping asked._

_ "I've been in this city for a few days now and I can't help but notice all the crime that needs to be dealt with" Zuko answered_

_ "Yes it is a shame" Ping said "but I don't have the money to fight the organized crime so all I can really do is have my men patrol the streets and catch whoever they can"_

_ "Maybe I can help" Zuko said "I have a few tricks for finding the criminal hideouts then we can take them down"_

_ "Hmm" Ping thought for a moment "how are you going to find them?" _

_ "You leave that to me" Zuko replied "I'll let you know when I find one of them"_

_ "Alright then" Ping said happily "I'm just glad to have some help that Dai Li is no help at all but somehow they get so much funding." _

_ "It's just a bunch of political nonsense" Zuko replied "they don't care about anyone outside the inner city because that's where all the money is"_

_ "Exactly" Ping replied. Zuko left the city watch headquarters and started walking home._

_ "Good news" Obsidia's voice returned "the battle is going better than I expected so I can spear a few dozen blue spirits to help us find criminals."_

_ "How soon?" Zuko asked _

"There already looking" Obsidia answered "but most crime happens at night so that's when things will start happening"

**Latter on that night**

"Zuko" Obsidia's voice woke him up "there is a few nests of criminals that have been found, let's get going" Zuko quickly got dressed and started off to Pings guard post where he found Ping asleep at his desk.

"Ping" Zuko said loudly waking him up "I've found a few places where some illegal stuff is happening"

"Did you?" Ping said happily but tired "that's great I'll tell the men" Ping got up and walked out to the barracks were there was about ten men sleeping. "alright on your feet men" Pings voice had lost its grogginess "there is a national hero here and I don't want you making me look like a fool"

"What national hero?" one of the men asked

"Obsidia" Ping said. All of the men were on their feet now when they looked over and saw Zuko standing there. "Now listen up Obsidia says there is criminal activity happening not far from here so he is going to lead us to it and we will break it up"

"What sort of criminal activity?" the same man as before asked. Ping looked to Zuko for the answer.

"There is a fight club three blocks south and four blocks west" Zuko told him "and then there is a weapons smuggler two blocks south of that. Any questions"

The same man then said "yeah I got one, are you trying to get us all killed?"

"If you don't want to come, you can go home and tell your wife you got fired for neglect of duty" Ping answered and the man shut up. "Alright then lead the way Mr. Obsidia" Zuko led them down to the fight club first then he said to them.

"Alright now remember we're just here to break it up don't arrest anybody, got it" Zuko earth bent the back wall open and they all came bursting into the room.

**A few minutes later**

Zuko and the others were standing in an empty room with blood speckled on the walls around them lade the bodies of those who tried to fight them Zuko had a small cut on his left arm that he was searing it closed. The man that was so cheeky earlier was now on the floor holding a wound on his side. Zuko knelt down beside him and made a small fire on the tip of his finger and then he asked "may I?"

The man looked at him then nodded his head "do it" he said

Zuko seared the wound shut then he looked to the others and said, rather smugly "that is why when I say step back, you step back now someone take him back to the barracks the rest of you come with me" Zuko and the others jogged down the street to the weapons smuggler "alright this time try not to kill any one we need them alive to stand trial. This time Zuko opened the back wall quietly and they snuck in first Zuko gagged and bound the ones who were sleeping then he open secret tunnel that he felt with his earth bending and they climb down a later where they saw five or six guards standing around while others were counting and moving crates to fill orders. Zuko quickly opened up the ground under the guards and they dropped into the hole then he close them leaving them burred up to their necks. Zuko and the guards arrested them all they were bound, gagged and thrown into the back of an ostridge/horse drawn carriage and took them back to the barracks.

The sun was just coming up when they got back Ping then said "this was a productive night so when do you think we can get some nobles to serve as there jury"

"Probably this afternoon" the woman at the front desk said as she sent the letter requesting a jury.

**That afternoon just before the trial.**

"good people of Ba Sing Se" Zuko's voice echoed over the crowd "the twenty men who stand here before you have been smuggling weapons into the city for years these weapons were then sold by them to the local gangs who used them to intimidate, abuse and even murder you the people now normally the fate of these men would be put in the hand of a jury like the one sitting right here" Zuko gestured to the twelve nobles sitting next to the stage where the men were to be hung "but sins the crimes these men have committed have almost no affected on them and such a large affect on you I'm going to let you decide their fates because you, all of you are the king and only the king can say who live and who dies. So who here says they should go to prison" Zuko paused to hear the crowds response

"Yeah" one man in the crowd cried out.

"Now" Zuko continued with great enthusiasm "Who wants to hang them high!"

"Yeahhhhhhh!" the crowd cheered

Zuko nodded at the executioner and said. "the king has spoken" The executioner pulled the leaver and the twenty men all fell with a news tied around there necks.

"You truly are a man of the people" Obsidia's said with a grin on his face.


	10. Love is Blind

love is blind By El Shaddai

**This part of the story takes place during "the guru/crossroads of destiny" but is mostly flash backs to the last week.**

Zuko woke up early that morning, he wear nothing but a small pair of shorts, and walked over to the mirror in his room. Zuko had been staying in the barracks for over a weak know and was glad they gave him a privet room. Zuko's eyes darted back and forth over his body in the mirror, stopping on a different scare every now and then; Zuko's mind began to wander back to how he got all these scares. Zuko remembered raiding all kinds of places with the city watch, he had been to every post in the city fore or even five post day. Every scare on him was from one of his men who made a mistake Zuko remembered pushing them out of the way or stepping in front of them, each time he would get hurt and each time he would just sear the wound and keep going. Zuko had been training in the day because the raids wear at night sins now one in the barracks new him as Zuko he even began training without his mask ,or even his shirt, Zuko's skin had become dark and hard like leather his muscles had grown to the point where most men looked scrawny next to him.

Zuko looked from the mirror to the bed where a foot and an arm stuck out from under the covers which began to move until a face came out too. "Good morning Zuko" Huan's voice was soft like velvet as she spoke "what's on your mind?"

"Just life" Zuko answered. He had started seeing Huan a few days ago but last night he told her the truth. Zuko was so happy when not only did she believe him but she said she loved him no matter who he was. They kissed passionately, before doing other things that I will not be mentioning. Huan sat up in the bed, holding the blanket over her naked body, and started rubbing her eyes before getting up picking up her cloths and walking to the bathroom to get dressed. Zuko looked back to the mirror and to his face. Zuko had a scare on his left cheek and another on his chin but what really made him look so different was the dark hard skin it made him look like he was a worrier that had been in countless battles. "I don't even look like Zuko any more" Zuko said out loud, his mind wandering back two days to when he last saw Iroh.

"Iroh I need your help" Zuko said to Iroh.

"What is it son?" Iroh answered.

"I've been thinking" Zuko began "I don't know much about fire bending, just what Zuko taught me, so I was wondering if you could teach me"

"I would be honored" Iroh said

"How are you?" Huan's voice woke Zuko from his day dream.

"I'm fine" Zuko said, Huan put her left hand on Zuko's cheek than she put her right hand on his chest.

"Don't lie to me Zuko" Huan said softly "what is bothering you?". Zuko put his hands on her hips, which her shirt did not cove, her skin was ruff but against his it felt soft.

"Today is a big day, that all" Zuko answered

"Why?" Huan asked.

"I'm going to leave two guards at the door" Zuko told her "promise me no matter what happens you won't leave this room."

"But why?" Huan asked.

"Just promise me" Zuko insisted.

"Ok I promise" Huan answered.

Zuko put on his pants and belt but left his shirt and shoes. Zuko picked up his hammers and put them in their holsters one on each hip.

"Be careful ok" Huan said to Zuko. Zuko smiled.

"What did I ever do to disserve you?" Zuko asked Huan just smiled and kissed him. Zuko walked out the door. "What does she see in me?" Zuko thought

"Love is blind kid" Obsidia answered.

**Later on that day **

Zuko was walking to another trial/hanging his mind began to wander back to him and Iroh training he remembered how easy shooting lightning came to him even though things like that use to be so hard. He remembered learning how to redirect lightning which was a little bit harder without any way to really practice. Then Zuko walked up and saw the sign "the jasmine dragon: opening day" and remembered what today really was.

**Next chapter: "rise of the king"**


	11. Rise of the King

Rise of the King By El Shaddai

Zuko sat in a corner booth in the jasmine dragon and began to talk to Obsidia "I have everything in place for tomorrow. How are things on your end?"

"It was a little tricky but I got Aang to have a vision that should bring him back to Ba Sing Se" Obsidia answered.

"And what about Azula?" Zuko asked. The spirits had told them she was posing as a Kyoshi worrier.

"She has made plans that perfectly coincided with ours. This will be too easy" Obsidia answered "assuming of course you can win"

"The avatar is a joke" Zuko said coldly "I can take him with one hand tied behind my back"

"For your sake I hope your right" Obsidia answered then Zuko saw a messenger arrive for Iroh.

Iroh read the message then said "I don't believe it, I have been invited to the palace to serve tea to the earth king himself" Zuko got up and walked over to him.

Zuko put his hand on Iroh's shoulder then said "I am happy for you"

"Thank you, would you like to come?" Iroh asked

"No, I am going to be busy tomorrow" Zuko answered.

**Later on that night**

Zuko was sitting up on the roof across from the barracks waiting for Azula's dogs, the Dai Li, to show up. One of the blue spirits heard that Azula ordered them to arrest him. Zuko saw them sneaking up on the roof trying not to wake anyone, to bad for them the guards know there coming, when one of the Dai Li agents opened the widow a sword was shoved threw his chest and he was pulled in then the window was shut the eight other Dai Li agents were surprised and tried to run but that was when Zuko made a fire big enough so they could see all around them the roof tops and the street was quickly flooded with city watch men the Dai Li agents got ready to fight but then Zuko spoke to them. "if you surrender now we promise not to any more of you" the Dai Li agents surrendered and the city watch put them in metal holding cells then Zuko walked in to his room Huan was waiting for him Zuko was happy to see she had not been harmed.

"What is going on?" Huan asked

"The Dai Li tried to arrest me for letting the people decide the fate of criminals instead of the nobles" Zuko answered

"Is that why you didn't want me to leave the room?" Huan asked

"Yes" Zuko answered "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you"

"I understand" Huan said "besides it's not like I had any where to go anyway"

"Good because I need you to stay here tomorrow as well" Zuko said.

"Why" Huan asked

"Because, when the Dai Li attacked me they declared war on the entire city watch" Zuko began "things could get messy very quickly and I don't want you to get hurt"

"Ok" Huan said

"Man, she is just to obedient" Obsidia said "are you sure she isn't brain washed"

"We checked the files" Zuko answered in his head "her name wasn't there, I think she just believes in me"

Huan laid down on the bed and looked at Zuko "what are you waiting for an invitation" Zuko smiled then joined her on the bed.

**The next day **

Zuko woke up before Huan put on a pair of pants, with the belt and hammers, than left. "Obsidia, how are things going?" Zuko asked

"Perfectly" Obsidia answered "the posters have all been placed and the Dai Li is too busy caring out Azula's orders to notice"

"What about uncle?" Zuko asked

"He went to meet the earth king but he was not captured" Obsidia answered "so we should hurry up and tell him"

"Well then it's a good thing we're already here" Zuko answered as he knocked on Iroh's door "Iroh it's me Obsidia open up" Iroh opened the door and let him in.

"It was a trap" Iroh said as he franticly packed up his stuff "Azula is here in the city and the Dai Li is with her"

"I know" Zuko said "that's why I need you help"

"With what" Iroh asked.

"The avatar is in Ba Sing Se and Azula has kidnapped that little water bending present" Zuko began "I am busy right now so I need you to take them to the underground runes of old Ba Sing Sa to help her it's underneath the palace also Azula is planning a coo with the Dai Li so someone should do something about that"

"Ok" Iroh said knowing there was no time to ask questions.

Zuko ran back down to the lower ring being pressed for time now. Zuko arrived at the place where judgment was always passed there he got up on stage an looked out over the crowd and began to speak "people of Ba Sing Se, no!, king of Ba Sing Se these Dai Li agents were caught trying to arrest me, just for allowing you to decide the fate others." Zuko gestured towards the eight agents of the Dai Li that tried to arrest him last night who were all bound and gagged. You see they want you to believe that the king is one man that sits on a throne and every one listens to him, but we know that the true king is all of you. The Dai Li want you to think that you are weak but you are not without you this city would not be able to stand, without you there would not be a city. Let me ask all of you if the crime of trying to enslave the king that these Dai Li agents have committed is worth the punishment of death"

"Yeah!" the crowd cheered and without a sing word from Obsidia the lever was pulled and the eight men fell.

"Now who thinks this is enough who thinks that the Dai Li has learned it's lesson and will never mistreat you again"

"Yeah!" the same guy from last time cried out.

"And who thinks they still need to be taught" Zuko said with great enthusiasm.

"Yeah" the crowd cried out.

"Then join me and your city watch in an all out riot against the Dai Li" Zuko said it with even more enthusiasm than before.

"Yeahhhh" the crowd was so rallied up they would have fallowed Obsidia straight into hell if he asked them.

"Then take a weapon and fallow me to the western gate to the inner city" Zuko said sternly as he gestured to the confiscated weapon the city watch men had.

**A few minutes later at the west gate **

Zuko and a few hundred city watch men stand at the gate with over a thousand citizens standing behind them and more and more kept coming. Zuko raised his hammers in the air and then dropped them to the ground breaking the gate wide open. Zuko and the city watch men walked in first there they saw fifty or sixty city watch men standing there. The leader of the watch men stepped forward.

"We are with you Obsidia" then they fell in line with the others. Zuko then saw a group of over a hundred city watch men coming toward them swords drawn.

"Defend the king" Zuko cried out and the city watch men along with him engaged them. It was a quick fight and the city watch man quickly retreated "my king" Zuko cried out now is your chance to rise up and take what is yours, the nobles have stolen money from you threw taxes and rent while you have to live on their scraps now take it all back" the mob moved through the city looting and pillaging. "men" Zuko said to the city watch men "quickly to the palace" Zuko led his men strait to the palace where thousands of soldiers stood ready to fight. Zuko and the city watch came to the palace where a commander stood with his solders "tell your men to stand down" Zuko demanded.

"You have some nerve causing a riot and giving me orders" the commander said angrily "the very second my messenger comes back with an order from the earth king or one of the general I will crush this riot"

"The earth king and the five generals are under arrest from the Dai Li who are staging a coo as we speak" Zuko said angrily "now ether you and you men stand down or I will kill you all" Zuko pulled out his hammers and set them on fire to intimidate the commander and it worked.

"Men" the commander said "stand down and make way" the men did as they were told and opened up a clear path to the palace. Zuko and the men arrive at the door to the earth kings chambers without incident then Zuko lifted his hammers and knocked it down. Once inside the throne room Zuko saw Azula sitting on the throne with a middle aged man bowing down before her.

"That is Long Fang leader of the Dai Li he has just surrendered to Azula." Obsidia said to Zuko.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something" Zuko said smugly. Zuko could not see any fear on the Dai Li's faces but he could feel them all panicking at the site of him and the city watch, even Azula seemed scared if only for a moment.

"Not at all" Azula said calmly "we were just discussing who would control Ba Sing Sa" Azula looked around as if looking for a way out but just then both of the side doors opened up and city watch men poured into the room from there as well. "You seem to have thought this through, so what is it you want"

"Now there's a list I don't have the time to go over right now" Zuko said smugly "but how about we start with control of Ba Sing Sa".

"And if I refuse?" Azula asked.

"You two choices" Zuko said "join me or die"

"Well that seems pretty cut and dry" Azula said "but how about we fight for it, if I win you'll work for me and if you win I'll work for you"

"I won't hold back this time" Zuko said as he put the hammers back in there holsters and took off his belt

"I don't recall asking you to" Azula answered as she got up and signaled the Dai Li to get out of the way.

They were both now standing in the middle of the throne you ready to fight. Azula started with a blast of fire, Zuko quickly lifted a wall in front of him to block it. Zuko put his hands on the center of the wall and pushed it out at her in a cloud of sand blinding her then Zuko walked through the wall forming a suite of earth around him and bull rushed her. Azula could not react fast enough and Zuko grabbed her by the throat with his right hand and threw her up against the back wall leaving a ring of earth made from the part of the suite that use to cover his right hand around her neck. Azula got up and tried to fire bend at him but Zuko just closed his right hand and the ring tightened choking her. Azula fell to her knees griping the ring.

"Now do you give up or am I going to have to squeeze the life out of you" Zuko asked. Azula nodded her head and mouthed the words "I give up" so Zuko let go of her. Azula gasped for air for a few moments then Zuko said "alright lets go".

"Go where?" Azula asked.

"To kill the avatar of cores" Zuko answered.

**A few minutes later in the underground city**

Zuko and the city watch alongside Azula and the Dai Li entered the crystal catacombs were Azula left Katara but there was a hole in the wall and she was gone. Zuko could feel movement through his feet not far ahead. "This way" Zuko said quickly and ran through the hole. Zuko could see them running just off in the distance now. Zuko braised himself then sent a fire ball over them and it landed in their path. "Going somewhere?" Zuko asked smugly.

"Obsidia?" Aang looked confused "what are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious" Zuko said "I'm here to kill you"

"What! Why?" Aang asked whale making an ass out of himself.

"Because you have failed" Zuko said.

"Failed at what?" Aang still did not get it.

"The spirits have lost faith in you" Zuko explained "and I am there new champion"

"But I'm the avatar" Aang said.

"Not for long" Azula answered as she walked up with the rest of the men.

"Obsidia what are you talking about" Iroh asked "the spirits do not pick and choose the avatar any more than we do"

"Foolish old man" Zuko answered "you really believe that. There is more to the spirit world than the parts you saw. There is even more to it then what the avatar has seen and like it or not they don't believe in you, but they do believe in me because they know I can fix the mess you could not"

"I can end the war" Aang said "I just need time"

"More time" Zuko said "you had a hundred years and you didn't do anything"

"That wasn't my fault" Aang said.

"Wasn't your fault?" Zuko said "first rule of being the avatar, everything's your fault now we are going to end this right here and now two on two, you and her versus me and Azula. Oh and Iroh if you intervene so will they" Zuko gestured to the men standing behind them.

Zuko and Azula stepped forward then Aang and Katara stepped forward. Zuko punched the ground sending a pillar with a fist on the end of it at Aang; Aang jumped back and dodged it. Zuko then did raped punches of fire keeping Aang on the move so he didn't have time to recover. Azula kicked fire at Katara who blocked it with water. Aang tried that wired wind move where he bucks his hips and sends a body made out of wind at Zuko, Zuko stopped the ground and moved his hands up to make a wall of earth that Aang's attack just bounced off of then Zuko when through the wall making a suite of earth. Zuko continued to raped paunch fire at Aang but Aang had jumped up on the pillars and was to fare back to reach with little punches so Zuko braised himself and then sent another big ball of fire at Aang. Aang tried to block the blast with crystals but it broke through and knocked him back. Zuko then began forcing fire though his suite of earth making a lava suite. Zuko punched both hand into the ground and force fire into it, from there he pulled out of the ground a pair of lava whips and began swinging them at Aang. Aang jump from pillar to pillar trying to avoid the whips. Azula was getting past Katara's attacks and was closing in but Katara then started making water blades and flinging them at her, one of the blades cut Azula's heir on the left side. Aang jump from one of the pillars to a piece of the roof that was hanging down then he broke it from the roof and slammed it into the ground making a wave earth headed for Zuko. Zuko lifted himself off the ground and over the wave. Aang had apparently knocked himself out but then Zuko heard Azula moan in distress he looked over to see Katara covering herself in water then when Azula tried to fire bend at her with her right arm Katara covered it with water. Katara swung water with her left arm at Azula but Zuko broke both water arms with his lava whips. Azula smirked then notice Aang getting up, Azula ran off to deal with Aang while Zuko retracted his left lava whip into his armor then he fought Katara with only his right. Azula made fire come out of her hands and feet then rocketed herself at Aang. Aang made armor out of crystals and moved himself at her. Azula stopped and used her momentum to kick fire at Aang which broke his crystal armor and knocked him unconscious. Azula looked over to see Katara losing ground to Obsidia/Zuko quickly rushed in, she began barraging Katara's upper body while Zuko pulled back his whip then stuck Katara in the stomach with it knocking her up against the crystals behind her. Aang made a loud grunt and came air bending into the air then landed and started moving the ground under him in a large bump. When Zuko heard Aang grunt he retracted his right whip into his armor then when he saw Aang coming he pushed both arms forward and sending the whips out and in to the bump Aang was riding on stopping it and sending him flying over them. Aang struggled to his feet and got into a fighting stance.

"Ha ha ha" Zuko chuckled "why do you keep fighting? You're barely a threat to me with the avatar state, your nothing without it"

"I'm sorry Katara" Aang said looking over at her, Katara was lying on the ground almost as if she were dead. Aang made a tent out of crystals and sat down in side of it.

"This is it" Obsidia said "just like we planed"

"Azula" Zuko said quietly "sneak around behind him and get your lightning ready" Azula nodded and quietly walked around him. Zuko could feel Katara getting up but she was no threat to him. Aang came flying out of the crystal tent and into the air in the avatar state and just as Zuko planed Azula stuck him down while his eye where fixed on him. What Zuko didn't plan for was the title wave that swept over him and cooled his lava into rock. Zuko saw Iroh start shooting fire balls like crazy.

"You've got to get out of here" Iroh said "I'll hold them off as long as I can" Zuko reheated his lava armor and stepped forward.

"No one touch him" Zuko said loudly "this traitor is mine!"

**Next chapter: cold and hot**


	12. Hot and Cold

Hot and Cold By El Shaddai

"Why Iroh?" Zuko asked "why did you betray me?"

"Betray you?" Iroh said "you said yourself she killed Zuko yet here you are working with her"

"first of all she works for me" Zuko said "and second I killed Zuko, because he was weak just like your weak and that's why I'm going to kill you, your weak in every aspect of the word." Iroh lost his temper and sent a large wave of fire at Zuko. Zuko made fire shout from his arms and legs rocketing himself into the fire covering his face with his arms, once Zuko was submerged in the fire he jumped out of the armor and sent the armor flying at Iroh. Iroh saw Zuko's lava armor coming at him through the fire so he quickly jumped out of the way then once it past him he shot a bolt of lightning at its back thinking Zuko/Obsidia was still in it. Zuko came out of the fire to see Iroh's back facing him and Iroh about to shoot lightning at the armor so Zuko quickly shot lightning at Iroh. The bolt of lightning hit Iroh's back at the same time Iroh's bolt hit the decoy. The decoy shattered and Iroh fell to his stomach Zuko walked toward Iroh who was barely alive and rolled him over onto his back. "I now you're an old man" Zuko began "and you don't really care if I kill you, which is why you're not the only one who is going to pay for your treachery so will everyone who bears the name grand master as well as every man woman and child who dares to harbor them from me." Zuko reached into Iroh's front pocket and pulled out his white lotus piece. "One more thing, I want to make sure you've learned something from all this so tell me what is my name?"

"Obsidia" Iroh coughed up the name with blood in his mouth.

"Common Iroh" Zuko insisted "your smarter than that, look past the sun tanned skin and scares, look deep into my golden eyes. What is my name?" Iroh's eyes grow wide with both disbelief and fear.

"No" Iroh said "it can't be".

"Close enough" Zuko said smugly. Zuko put the white lotus piece in the palm of his right hand then he placed his right hand over Iroh's left eye and let the gambit fall over Iroh's eye. Zuko breathed deep then sent a wave of fire through his hand and into Iroh's face melting the gambit and killing Iroh. "I need Dai Li agents for a very dangerous and important mission, are there any volunteers?" at first no one said anything then one Dai Li agent, with a scare on his right cheek, stepped forward.

"I volunteer" he said sternly although Zuko could feel his fear soon after, eleven more stepped forward.

"Hmm, only twelve out of fifty" Zuko said "kind of disappointing, but good enough" Zuko made a coffin out of earth then levitated it to the twelve men "Azula, go with them up to the surface and wait there for my orders".

"Right away Obsidia sir" Azula said sarcastically then she turned to the men "you heard the boss" Azula and the twelve Dai Li agents left.

Zuko raised a fist in the air then extended his fingers, the city watch all drew their weapons than Zuko spoke "kill them all" Zuko shouted. The Dai Li put up a descent fight but they were outnumbered by the city watch and where all killed.

Zuko and the city watch returned to the palace where Azula and the rest of the Dai Li where waiting. Once Zuko walked into the throne room Azula asked "where is the Dai Li?" even though she could already tell by the blood soaked clothes of the city watch that they were all dead.

"There is a riot out there" Zuko explained "there rioting against the Dai Li so I had to give them blood" now the twelve of you go to the guard room and change out of those uniforms before any one sees you" the Dai Li left quickly.

"So what is the plan boss?" Azula asked.

"Simple, where going to do what the generals planed and invade the fire nation, on the day of black sun" Zuko answered "but sins the plans for that have already been made I'm going to have a lot of free time between then and now"

"I see" Azula answered just then the Dai Li reentered the room wherein the palace guard uniforms, that made them look like giant beetles.

"from now on you are no longer Dai Li agents" Zuko began "you are the 'Obsidian Guard' you will be the first of many to were my insignia but for now those awful uniforms will have to do, now keep an eye on Azula while I deal with the riot." Zuko looked to the city watch and said "get some hands on that coffin".

"Right away sir" one of the watch men said. Eight of the watch men gathered around the coffin and picked it up. Zuko and the city watch walked out of the palace and down in to the entry way where they found the palace guards still waiting at the entry way to the palace watching the riot.

"Why haven't they done anything?" one of the men asked.

"Only the earth king or the council of five cane give the order to use military force on civilians" one of the men said.

"Why don't they have a backup plan?" the same man asked.

"that is the backup plan" the other man explained "first it's our job to deal with a riot then it's the Dai Li's job if we're not enough finally it is the military's job, but they need permission and sins Azula and the Dai Li have taken out the generals and the earth king there is nothing they can do"

"Yep" Zuko agreed "so they pretty much handed the city over to the mob and we control the mob" Zuko and the city watch walked out of the palace and into the city where Zuko used his earth bending the billed a stage and his fire bending to light torches on the stage so he could be seen and heard by the mob. "Enough!" Zuko's voice cried out like thunder "good people I have destroyed the Dai Li and the city is now in the hands of its right full king" Zuko gestured to the mob "but there are those who seek to take away your power, people like the white lotus. Today I face one of the white lotuses' grand masters who tried to stop me from defeating the Dai Li, so this day let it be known that the white lotus is now an enemy of the people and any one caught hiding them associating with them or withholding information about them is an enemy me and you and will be put to death without trial and without hesitation, just as he was." Zuko used his earth bending to shoot Iroh's corps into the crowd witch the people quickly began to defile "good people be for you all go home know this the avatar also tried to stop me so I had no choice but to kill him, but now are struggle is over return to your homes for tomorrow is a new day and all of our lives will change for the better." The mob began to leave Zuko then turned to his men "tomorrow we have one hell of a mess to clean up so I sagest you all go to bed". Zuko began walking back to the barracks.

**Later that night at the barracks**

"Zuko" Huan's voice was filled with joy "what happened, I could hear a lot of the commotion from here"

"I had to cause a riot to keep everyone busy while we fought the Dai Li" Zuko answered.

"Did it work?" Huan asked

"Yes" Zuko said sadly.

"You don't seem very happy about it" Huan said.

"A lot of people died today" Zuko answered "some which were killed by my hand and I didn't even hesitate not even with my uncle a man who took care of me for three years and taught me so much"

"You did what you thought was right" Huan answered.

"I still believe it was right but I never thought I could be so cold" Zuko answered

"Zuko" Huan began "you can be cold and heartless sometimes but other times you are hot and passionate. Do you know why?"

"Why" Zuko asked

"Because you care" Huan answered "no matter what happens Zuko promise me that won't change"

"Ok" Zuko answered "but you have to promise me something"

"Anything" Huan answered

"You have to promise me" Zuko began "that when I am cold you will warm me and when I am hot you will cool me. I never thought I would need you so much Huan so help stay human"

Huan kissed Zuko passionately "I will always be there for you" Huan said softly.

"You know" Zuko said kind off cheeky "there is a whole empty palace now, you wouldn't have to keep your voice down"

Huan smiled then said "why are we still here?"

**Latter on that night in the palace.**

Mai, Ty lee and Azula are sharing a room not far from where Huan and Zuko are making love. "do they have to be so loud?" Mai asked.

"I think it's sweet" Ty Lee said.

Azula rolled over in her bed putting her pillow over her ears. "This is going to be a long night" Azula said sounding very annoyed.

**That's the first half of "rise of Obsidia" done, but I'll start righting the second half soon enough.**


End file.
